AMMAN, 22 July 2005 — Jordanian Prime Minister Adnan Badran yesterday won a vote of confidence from Parliament after five days of often heated debate over his policies to push for reform, including a rise in oil prices.
The vote was 66-37, with six absentions and one member absent from the 110-seat Parliament, Speaker Abdel Hadi Majali said on state television.
Badran, a respected academic-turned-politician, told Parliament he was determined to ensure “that today’s problems are not relegated to future governments”.
He also acknowledged that Jordan must make huge sacrifices to engage full-force in an economic and political reform program.
“Reforms cannot be accomplished without sacrifices. The government realizes that paying the price is not the goal but is necessary in order to set up foundations for real prosperity for the future,” he said.
“Our pledge to you is to have the courage to adopt changes, not delay them,” he added.
Badran also promised that his government will meet MP demands by submitting a new election law that would be ready for the next legislative polls due in 2007.
Badran formed his Cabinet in April but was forced to reshuffle it earlier this month after it came under attack from a group of 49 MPs who threatened a no-confidence vote unless the economic team was changed.
His program includes a decision announced earlier this month to raise fuel prices by 10 to 33 percent, as well as a string of measures to reduce government spending and the huge budget deficit.
To sugar the pill the government increased minimum monthly wages from $120 to $136 and raised low-end state salaries by $7 to $14.
Badran also ordered Cabinet ministers and top-ranking officials to trade in their government-issued gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel-efficient cars to help rein in government spending.
Jordan faces a record deficit of 950 million dinars ($1.3 billion) and hopes its austerity measures will reduce expenditure by 60 million dinars ($84.5 million).
The tiny desert kingdom with almost inexistant natural resources also faces a total debt of $10.2 billion, including 5.1 billion dinars in foreign debt.
The opposition, led by the Islamic Action Front party which voted against Badran in a confidence show-down, have been demanding elections on party lists rather that the current one-man, one-vote.
IAF MP Azzam Hneidi told AFP he had expected the outcome of the vote.
“The government’s policy statement was full of rhetoric. Their plans for reforms are vague,” he said, adding that his party also disapproved of price hikes.
But he admitted that the Badran government was more open to dialogue than its predecessors.
